HBO Launches The Franchise This October

In some way, this was inevitable: a satirical program on a premium network targeting Hollywood’s recent (relatively speaking) trend of chasing franchises instead of good stories. A show literally named THE FRANCHISE will premiere on HBO early next month and run weekly on both the cable channel and Max. Currently, the problem of “the franchise” may be resolving itself as declining ticket sales mean a superhero movie is no longer a guarantee of instant profits. When you have to hit a moving target, you may be slow on the draw, especially when it moves as fast as this business. But […]

Finally, a show that gets it! I’m all about superhero movies, but I’ve been feeling the fatigue for a while now. It’s like Hollywood forgot about telling actual stories. This sounds hilarious and spot-on—just imagining the chaos of trying to turn some random superhero into a blockbuster is gold. Plus, the cast looks solid. . I’ll definitely be checking this out on Max next month!

Color me skeptical. Hollywood loves to pretend it's being self-aware with these kinds of shows, but at the end of the day, it’s still part of the same machine it claims to criticize. This feels like an empty gesture. And if the trailer’s anything to go by, it looks like they're relying too much on crude humor. I miss when comedies had wit instead of shock value.

This show sounds hilarious! I mean, trying to save some random superhero no one cares about? That’s a perfect setup for some really funny moments. Plus, the cast looks awesome—Aya Cash and Himesh Patel are both great! I love superhero movies, but it’s about time someone made fun of them. I’ll definitely be watching

I’m seriously tired of people acting like superhero movies are some sort of problem. Do people not realize how much these films mean to so many fans? They’ve created incredible universes, brought characters we love to life, and told stories that inspire people. Just because some folks are over it doesn’t mean we need a show mocking everything. What’s wrong with enjoying a good superhero flick? The box office might fluctuate, but that doesn’t mean superhero movies are done, or that they’ve lost their value. If you don’t like them, fine, but stop acting like they’re some big joke. These movies are still huge for a reason—people love them!

This crap feels like it’s trying to undermine something that means a lot to a lot of us. Sure, there’s been some fatigue and not every movie is perfect, but the superhero genre has given us amazing stories and characters that have inspired and entertained millions. It’s frustrating to see a show that seems to be focused on making fun of the genre instead of celebrating it or at least acknowledging its impact. This just feels like a cheap shot rather than a thoughtful critique.